Collateral Damage
by Psydekicks
Summary: When Shawn and Gus get in over their heads with a dangerous crime syndicate, how far will Shawn go to keep his best friend safe? Co-authored by Olivia94 and Syncop8ed Rhythm :D
1. Chapter 1

This story was co-authored by Olivia94 and Syncop8ed Rhythm. We've been working on this since Christmas and are very excited to start sharing this with you all. Please enjoy!

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><p>He staggered down the street, one hand trailing along the sides of the buildings as he fought to keep his balance. The agony in his head reached a new peak, and he paused in his journey, eyes clenching shut as he tried to push the pain away. He took a deep breath and reopened his eyes before pushing away from the wall, his destination the police station across the street.<p>

It was very important that he make it to that police station. He had been told to hurry, and some part of him realized that if he failed to make it to the station as soon as he could, a life would be lost. Maybe more than one.

"_Listen to me, buddy. You need to go to the police station, okay? You need to find Detectives Lassiter and O'Hara. Got that? Lassiter and O'Hara."_

Those names-those people-should be familiar to him, and it scared him that he couldn't remember them. He couldn't remember anything before…yesterday, was it?

_Sunlight glinting off the windshields as one car rushed towards another…metal crunching against metal, glass breaking at the force of one car crashing into another…pain...then nothing, only darkness…Waking to more pain, confusion, and questioning. Just one question, over and over: "Where is she?" He couldn't answer. He didn't know who he was, let alone where "she" was._

He had been so confused, so lost. All of the questions that he asked were ignored, until finally, _finally,_ a new man came into the room, and this man didn't hurt him. Actually, he seemed worried about him.

_The man turned, his anger obvious in the tight lines of his body. "You said you wouldn't hurt him!" He yelled at the man that stood in the doorway._

"_And we didn't," The masked man answered, "After you and I made our deal."_

He stumbled across the street, focused on the station. He was so close; just a few more steps and he would be walking up the stairs and through the door. Exhaustion stole the last remains of his energy, but he refused to stop. Not until he found those two detectives; not until he completed his task.

He had to find those detectives, had to talk to them.

He pushed through the doors, the sudden noise of the police station hitting him and making him cringe. There was a desk and the tall, friendly looking police officer standing behind it looked up with a smile as he approached. The smile immediately fell from the officer's face; his mouth parted in shock and he hurried out from behind the desk. The officer reached his side just in time. His knees gave out again and he would have fallen to the floor if that giant of a police officer hadn't grabbed his arms to support his weight.

"You… Are you…What happened to you?" The officer asked in worry.

"I…I need to see Detectives Lassiter and O'Hara. Please."

"Of course." He helped him walk to a chair and pushed on him carefully to sit down.

The officer started to walk away before he reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him. "It's important…I have to see them."

"I'm going to get them right now. Don't worry," The officer soothed, worry creasing his face before he gently pulled away.

He dropped his chin to his chest, eyes closing as he took several deep breaths and waited for the officer to return.

"Oh my God."

His eyes snapped open and landed on the blond woman in front of him.

"Gus?"


	2. Chapter 2

**What's up, guys? Olivia94 here!**

**First off, I have to thank you guys for your awesome response so far! I know I speak for myself and Syncop8ed Rhythm when I say that it's greatly appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Psych, nor does my wonderful partner. We also do not own Santa Barbara, the SBPD, or the United States Justice System. I know. Your belief system has been shattered. **

**OooOooO**

Juliet tapped her pencil on her desk anxiously, checking her watch nervously only to see it was just ten seconds after she'd checked it the last time. The obnoxious action was drawing annoyed glares from her co-workers, but she didn't notice nor care; her thoughts were elsewhere.

"_Come on, O'Hara. We've got a crime scene to go to," Lassiter announced. "Accident at the intersection of East Ortega and Anacapa."_

_Juliet stopped filling out paperwork immediately and turned a confused look to her partner. "Wait, what? We're being pulled off of investigating a crime syndicate for a car crash?" The detective was shocked that her partner would stray from such a high profile case because of an everyday occurrence._

_Lassiter held her gaze meaningfully. "One of the cars involved is a bright blue Echo registered to Central Coast Pharmaceuticals." Juliet gasped, the weight of his words crushing her. "The driver is missing."_

The blond detective put her face in her hands as the memory hit her like a freight train. Her partner's words had started a horrible chain of events that she was currently caught in the middle of.

Juliet dropped her pencil and stood up out of her chair. She made her way towards the front of the station, intent on getting some fresh air.

"_Come on, Shawn! Answer the phone. Please answer the phone," Juliet begged her boyfriend under her breath, the receiver of her cell phone pressed hard against her ear in anticipation. The phone rang five times before going to voicemail._

"_Hello. You have reached Shawn Spencer; head Psychic Investigator at the SBPD, founder of the Psych Detective Agency, and taco aficionado. I am most likely working on a very secret, very dangerous, very important case right now, so I can't come to the phone. Please leave a message—or don't, I'll know why you're calling anyways."_

_Juliet repressed the urge to curse. Worry was eating at her; she could only think of two people who could be driving that car. "Shawn, it's Juliet. Please, just call me back as soon as you get this message. It's important." With that she snapped her phone shut._

_From the driver's seat, Lassiter opened his mouth and then shut it again quickly. He couldn't think of any sufficient words of comfort to offer his partner._

_Both detectives jumped out of the car once they arrived at the crash site. It was all Juliet could do to keep herself from sprinting to the demolished, little, blue car in the middle of the intersection._

_The first thing that hit Lassiter was the fact that the Echo was the only car present._

"_Looks like a hit and run," He observed to his partner._

_Juliet nodded her agreement distractedly as she made her way to the driver's window. She felt bile rise in her throat when she saw the fair amount of blood that stained the seat of the car._

"_Oh God," A new, familiar voice from behind her caused Juliet to spin around. Her heart rose a tiny bit in her chest when she saw her boyfriend, Shawn Spencer, standing in the middle of the road looking distraught but unharmed._

"_Shawn! Thank God you're okay," She told him genuinely, though she was wary of her partner standing nearby. To her knowledge Lassiter had yet to learn of her relationship with the Psychic._

_Her boyfriend turned worried eyes to her. "Where is he? Is he okay?"_

_Juliet didn't have to ask, she knew who Shawn was referring to._

"_I don't know, Shawn. He's not here, I'm sorry," She said sadly._

_Shawn's eyes flew around the intersection, seemingly taking in the entire scene in an instant. "I...I heard about the accident on the scanner and he wouldn't answer his phone…" His face blanched as a horrible realization hit him. "Oh, God. He isn't here, is he? Gus has been kidnapped!"_

Juliet sighed heavily as she thought of the terrible toll that Gus's disappearance had been taking on Shawn. He hadn't been himself—a fact that scared her more than any criminal ever had. Juliet had never seen Shawn so downtrodden and miserable. He had stayed with the detectives throughout their investigation at the crime scene and returned with them to the station, pouring over the notes they had taken with an uncharacteristic focus. When Lassiter asked him if he knew who would want to kidnap his best friend, Shawn shook his head in denial.

Lassiter had left him alone, suspicious that the psychic knew more than he was letting on, but unwilling to push Shawn further while he was in what can only be described as an unstable mood. However, Juliet, who knew Shawn much better than her partner did, didn't shy away so quickly. She hadn't missed the epiphanic look flash across her boyfriend's face, or the way that his grip on his cell phone tightened minutely. She knew Shawn well enough to know that he was hiding something. It worried her.

A commotion by the front office pulled Juliet back to the present.

"It's important…I have to see them," A frantic voice was pleading with McNab. The officer's large frame was blocking the man speaking.

"I'm going to get them right now. Don't worry," Buzz told the man.

McNab turned back to the body of the station, allowing Juliet to see source of the voice. Her heart seemed to stop in her chest.

"Oh my God."

The man's eyes snapped open and landed on her.

"Gus?" Indeed it was Burton Guster standing before Juliet, though he didn't seem to recognize the name.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Gus asked her genuinely after a moment, clearly unnerved by her stare. Juliet felt worry seep into her consciousness. Gus didn't seem to recognize her at all.

"Yes, Gus. It's me, Juliet. You know, Juliet O'Hara." Gus's eyes brightened slightly at her name.

Then another horrible realization hit the detective. Panic started to rise within her. She knew how Gus had managed to escape his captors.

"_Listen to me, Shawn. You have to be careful. It won't do Gus any good for you to go out and do something stupid that gets you killed." Juliet told Shawn firmly. The couple was standing in an interrogation room in the downstairs of the police station._

"_Come on, Jules! You know me. I'm one of those straight shooting, by the book types. You have nothing to worry about," Shawn insisted, grabbing his girlfriend's hand and shooting her a megawatt smile that didn't quite reach his eyes._

_Juliet yanked her hand away. "Very funny, Shawn. But I'm being serious. I know you, and if you go out and do something inherently-Shawn-like, you're going to get yourself killed. These guys could be dangerous! We don't even know who we're dealing with-" The detective saw a flash of guilt pass over Shawn's face. "Oh my God. You know who has him, don't you?"_

"_Of course not," He assured her weakly._

_Juliet put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. "Shawn…" She warned._

_Shawn sighed and threw his hands in the air. "Okay, fine! I_may_think that it_might _have a little, tiny bit to do with the crime syndicate you and Lassie are investigating."_

_The detective's mouth dropped open. "Are you serious?"_

_Shawn shrugged sheepishly. "It's a working theory…"_

_Juliet groaned loudly before pinching the bridge of her nose and breathing deeply. Sometimes it seemed like her boyfriend went out of his way to stress her out. "Shawn, if you're right and the crime syndicate is behind this, you have absolutely no idea what you are getting yourself into."_

_A flash of annoyance crossed Shawn's face. It vanished quickly and was replaced by a steely, determined stare. "Actually, I think I do. Maybe you've forgotten, but they kidnapped my best friend."_

"_I know, Shawn, but—"_

"_You know, you and Lassie always seem to have this need to baby me. It's like you guys feel like you have to protect me."_

"_No, Shawn—"_

"_I'm not an idiot, you know. Why am I never able to prove myself to you?"_

"_Shawn—"_

"_I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself."_

"_Please, Shawn—"_

"_I could probably even get to the bottom of this stupid syndicate without a single scratch—"_

"_Damn it, Shawn!" Juliet cried, cutting Shawn off mid-rant. Her level of desperate hysteria had been growing with each interjection, and now her eyes were filled with unshed tears. "Forget about your stupid pride for one second! This is not about you!" She practically screamed at the shell-shocked psychic. "This is about me, okay? You want me to admit it? Fine. I'm being selfish."_

_Shawn looked at his girlfriend in bewilderment. "What are you talking about?"_

"_You can't do anything stupid because I'm terrified that something will happen to you. I don't think that I could handle it if you…if anything happened…" Juliet trailed off, desperately fighting the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes._

_Shawn hesitated a moment and then sighed, pulling his girlfriend into his arms. "You're right, Jules. I'm sorry. I'll be careful. I'll stay away from the syndicate."_

_Juliet's only response was a choked sob as she allowed herself to relax in Shawn's arms, her thoughts straying back to the terror she felt when she first saw the totaled blueberry._

"_I'll stay safe, Jules. I promise."_

"Oh my God," Juliet whispered under her breath as she realized that Shawn had lied.

"Wait," Gus was saying, "You're Detective O'Hara?"

Juliet nodded. "Yes."

"I've got a message for you from Shawn Spencer."

**OooOooO**

**I hope you like it!**

**Please review, wonderful people! Thanks so much! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

_Hands suddenly grasped his shoulders, prying him away from the darkness that had washed over him. He was unable to stop himself from flinching away from them, sure that whoever was touching him only wanted to cause him more pain._

"_Hey…Hey, buddy; it's me. Open your eyes…There we go…I am so sorry. Everything's going to be okay, Gus. I promise. And it's a promise I will keep this time, trust me, Gus-"_

"_Do I know you?"_

_Hazel eyes narrowed in confusion, a worried frown crossing the unfamiliar man's face._

"_Is my name Gus?"_

_The stranger covered his mouth, an expression that "Gus" could only describe as horror crossing the man's face before he nodded. "Your name is Burton Guster; I call you Gus."_

_He could feel his nose crinkling. "Burton?"_

_The stranger gave a short laugh. "Yeah, buddy. That's why I gave you the nickname." The laughter fell from his face, and he turned serious as he continued to stare at him. "Listen to me, buddy. You need to find Detectives Lassiter and O'Hara, okay? Lassiter and O'Hara. They'll be the Santa Barbara Police Department."_

"_Do I know them?"_

_The man nodded, the crease between his eyebrows deepening with his obvious worry. Gus hurried to ask another question before the man could continue._

"_Who are you?"_

"_Shawn…Shawn Spencer. We're best friends. I need you to listen to me. Do you remember who I told you to find?"_

_Gus nodded. "Lassiter and O'Hara."_

_Shawn dipped his head. "Good. You need to tell them what happened to you, okay? Everything that you remember. Everything." His eyes narrowed again as he studied Gus._

"_Okay…Why are you here?"_

"_To save you, buddy! You didn't think I came here for the food, did you? Keep listening, Gus. Tell Jules-Detective O'Hara-that I'm sorry. She'll know why. And Lassiter took your favorite Bond movies: Die Another Day and Golden Eye. You might want to have him return those…Oh! And remind him he still owes me ten dollars. He bet me the Colts would beat the Giants last Sunday-as if!"_

"_Time's up…" Came a voice from the doorway, but Shawn ignored it._

"_And tell my dad I finally got in touch with Tom Norton."_

"_Time to go."_

_The guards were pulling them apart, putting a blindfold over Gus' eyes. The last thing he heard as they led him from the room was a thud and a grunt of pain._

"I've got a message for you from Shawn Spencer."

Juliet felt Lassiter walk up beside her, his sharp breath the only thing that showed his surprise.

"What's the message?" He asked, bypassing any questions of where Gus had been and if he was okay to get to the heart of the matter.

"Are…are you Detective Lassiter?"

The two detectives gave each other a quick look.

"Yes, I am Detective Lassiter," He answered as Juliet knelt in front of Gus.

"Good," Gus nodded, staring between the two detectives, his face furrowed in concentration.

"Gus? What was the message?"

"Uh…" He closed his eyes, trying to force his mind to focus for just a few minutes more. "Shawn…he said to tell you everything that I remembered. He said to tell O'Hara he was sorry, that you would know why he was saying that…And Lassiter, he said…said you borrowed my favorite…Bond movies? Something about gold eyes and dying on another day?"

Lassiter tilted his head in confusion, but refrained from interrupting him.

"He also said you owed him money…something about the Colts and Giants. There was something else…something for his father…he said he had talked to a…Norton?"

Lassiter turned to look at O'Hara in confusion.

She shrugged, shaking her head to show she was just as lost as he was. "Gus, was there…" She turned to look back at Gus, her words trailing off when she noticed he had slumped in his chair. He was unconscious.

…

_1989:_

"_Shawn, that is not the way to bait a hook!" Henry shook his head as he reached for his son's fishing line. "Sometimes I wonder if you truly are my son."_

"_What do you mean?" Shawn asked, the twinkle in his eyes clashing with the wounded expression he wore._

_Henry held up the hopelessly tangled fishing line. "Exhibit A. A son of mine could never massacre this fishing line like you have."_

_Shawn gave a small smile and jostled Gus' shoulder. "Guess that means you're out of the running too, buddy."_

_Henry turned to look at the other boy, who was trying to escape the fishing wire that wrapped around his fingers. "Come here, Gus," He sighed, searching for patience. He tried to untangle the wire before giving up and reaching for his pocket knife. "How did you even manage to do this?" He muttered, leaning closer to get a better look at the mess and wondering what he had been thinking to bring them out on his boat._

"_Well, I-" Gus started before Henry cut him off._

"_I don't really want to know, Guster." Neither of them spoke as Henry finally managed to free Gus from the tangled mess. When he was finished, he looked up to find his son studying the shoreline. Henry grabbed his pole and cast his line out into the water before breaking the silence. "Made an arrest there last week."_

"_Where?" Shawn asked, his eyes squinting as he continued to look._

"_See that bait shop?" Henry pointed. "Count five buildings past that; it was at that warehouse."_

"_Who was it?" Shawn asked and Gus moved in closer to hear the story._

"_Drug dealer known as Tom Norton…"_

_End flashback…_

"We had a deal, Mr. Spencer."

"We did. But you know, you didn't hold up your part of the bargain." Shawn's carefree smile didn't reach his eyes as he scanned the room, surreptitiously studying the guards that stood on either side of him. One hand moved to absently wipe the blood from his split lip. The sudden hit from the bodyguard wasn't surprising; it had happened a little sooner than he would have thought, but it wasn't unexpected. After all, he had entered into the deal fully intending to keep Manning away from what he wanted and the man was bound to get angry with him. He had hoped, however, that he might be able to delay the violence long enough for Gus to get the message to Juliet, and for the police to raid the warehouse.

It didn't look like that was going to happen.

The man tsked. "I let your friend go, just like you asked."

"You also hurt him. That wasn't a part of the deal."

"Ah. Unfortunately, Mr. Spencer, we made the deal in the middle of our…questioning. I assure you, after you and I spoke, no one else laid a hand on him."

"As much as I appreciate your assurances, the fact is Gus was still hurt. I can't in good conscience give you the information you want. I'm sure you understand, being a business man and all. If someone doesn't meet the terms of a deal, then the deal is off, right Mr. Manning? Or can I call you Pierce?"

Manning paced in front of Shawn, the only tell for his anger the slight clenching and unclenching of his hands. Shawn smirked when he saw how quickly he could provoke the older man.

"That is a shame, Mr. Spencer. If you back out of our deal, it will just be more painful for you."

Shawn huffed and shook his head. "Why did I have a feeling you were going to say that?" He asked, a sardonic smile tilting the corners of his lips.

Manning looked at the guards on either side of Shawn and they stepped closer to grab his arms.

"You're the psychic. You tell me."

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><p>Thank you all so much for your wonderful support of this story. You guys are fabulous!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Juliet snapped her phone shut and sighed, running a tired hand through her hair.

"Gus is at the hospital," She reported to her partner, who was sitting at his desk quietly. "The doctors said he's going to be fine. He's just banged up from the car accident and whatever it was that happened to him while he was missing."

"What about the fact that he can't remember anything?" Lassiter questioned, his eyes betraying the worry that his voice was hiding so carefully.

"They're not sure yet—he just got there. But I'd guess that he suffered from a head trauma in the car crash. That combined with the emotional trauma of what happened to him…" Juliet sighed again and walked over to her desk, plopping down into her chair. She leaned forward onto her desk and buried her head in her arms. "I can't believe this is happening," Her muffled voice barely carried to Lassiter's desk.

After a few moments, O'Hara heard the not-so-subtle sound of a throat being cleared.

"What?" She snapped at her partner, who was standing above her.

"Why don't you go to the hospital? Be there for Guster when he wakes up. I can handle things here," Lassiter's voice was uncharacteristically soft and considerate.

Juliet shook her head vigorously, "No. No, no way. There is no chance I'm leaving while Shawn is still out there," She insisted. Lassiter looked like he was going to argue, but Juliet didn't give him the chance. She jumped to her feet and pressed further. "Don't, Carlton. Shawn is my friend and I am going to find him. If you think you can sit me on the bench, you're wrong. I could easily make up an excuse for why I had to shoot you."

Lassiter suppressed a grin at his partner's aggression. He'd taught her well.

"Okay. Calm down, O'Hara. It was just a suggestion."

Juliet groaned and slumped back into her chair, burying her face once more. "I'm sorry, Carlton. I'm just stressed."

Lassiter wisely allowed Juliet a moment to recollect herself before he spoke. "You're right, O'Hara."

Her head popped up to reveal her confused face. "About what?"

Lassiter leaned forward onto Juliet's desk. "Spencer is still out there."

Those five words brought a visible change to O'Hara's face. She clenched her fists and her eyes hardened. "You're right. Let's go find him."

OooOooO

"You know, Mr. Spencer, you really are trying my patience."

"Wow. I impress even myself. You seem like an uber-patient kind of guy."

Shawn's sarcastic quip bought him another Earth shattering blow to the gut. He grunted loudly.

"Yep," He breathed painfully, "super patient. Hospitable, too. You must make your mom proud."

Rough hands grabbed Shawn's hair and jerked his head back. In the low lighting, Shawn couldn't see his captor's face, but he could feel his hot breath on his neck.

"You are walking a _very_ thin line, Mr. Spencer. I'd be careful if I were you," Pierce Manning's gravelly voice warned.

"Well, that could be a problem. I have very big feet."

Manning released his grip on Shawn's head and paced away from him, chuckling lightly and humorlessly. "You are something, Spencer. You've got guts; I'll give you that. You're also an idiot." Though Shawn still couldn't see him, he could hear Pierce pacing a few feet out of range of the cliché light hanging right above him. "But I can't help but wonder," The pacing stopped, "How were you able to identify me?"

Shawn smiled triumphantly. "Easily."

"_Come on, Gus! We're going to be late!" Shawn whined, jingling the keys to the blueberry in front of his best friend's face._

"_Late for what, Shawn? The movie doesn't start for another two hours," Gus countered. He didn't budge from his place on the__Psych office couch._

"_But dude! The previews start way before that, and they're the best part!"_

_Gus rolled his eyes. "The previews don't start until the movie's scheduled time." It was all Gus could do to keep himself from laughing at his friend's crestfallen look. "Anyways, I want to watch this."_

"_Sweet!" Shawn cried happily, jumping over the back of the couch to land with a bounce next to Gus. "You make the popcorn!" Gus looked at him exasperatedly. "What? You're closer!"_

_When Gus didn't reply, Shawn turned his short attention to the television screen._

"_The news? Seriously, man?" Shawn reached for the remote. "You know what? I think there's a_Magnum _marathon on—ow!" Gus had slapped his hand away from the remote._

"_What part of 'I want to watch this' do you not understand?" Gus asked, voice thick with annoyance._

"_The 'want' part. It's the news. Nobody under the age of fifty willingly watches the news instead of Tom Selleck and his glorious stache!"_

"_I'll have you know, Shawn, that that man on the screen, Pierce Manning, is said to be one of the brightest, most innovative minds of the 21st__century."_

_Shawn glanced at the man Gus indicated. In that one glance he took in several details about Pierce Manning. He was young—early to mid thirties. Despite his name, his features were distinctly Italian: his olive complexion, straight nose, high cheekbones, and his dark brown hair and eyes. The man seemed tall—whether that was due to actual height or his domineering demeanor, Shawn couldn't tell. When he talked, the man had a deep, gravelly voice._

"_With this research, my company will be able to save countless lives," Manning was saying._

_Shawn, naturally, zoned out almost immediately. "Dude. That guy has incredible hair," He mused to his best friend._

_Gus just rolled his eyes and sighed, "This guy is talking about advancing technology in ways that will save lives and all you see is his hair?"_

_Shawn scoffed. "It's one thing to say he will, and another thing to do it. I bet it's a scam. Just a way to get money."_

_Gus cocked his head to the side as he studied the figure on the screen. "I don't know. He seems like a good guy to me."_

Shawn couldn't help but laugh out loud at the irony.

"Would you like to elaborate, Mr. Spencer?" Manning asked, bringing Shawn back to reality. Though he still hadn't seen his face, Shawn was able to identify Pierce easily by his distinctive voice.

"I sensed you. You know, psychically. You have a very distinctive aura—a nice sage orange—"

"Sage is green."

"I've heard it both ways."

Shawn could practically feel Manning's eyebrow rise and he heard a light chuckle from his direction. "Is that so?" The man's pacing had started up again. "Well, then, if you are psychic, you should be able to 'sense' what will happen to you if you don't tell me where Melissa Archer is."

"_Catch!" Shawn yelled a short warning a few seconds too late. A squishy, pineapple shaped stress toy hit Gus square in the face._

"_Shawn!" Gus cried indignantly. "You did that on purpose."_

_Shawn gasped and covered his mouth with his hand in mock offense. "I resent that. I told you to 'catch.'"_

"_Yes, but it doesn't count if you warn me half a second before it hits my face!" Gus accused._

"_Does too!"_

"_Does not!"_

"_Does too!"_

"_Does not!"_

"_Does too!"_

"_Excuse me?" A new, feminine voice came from the doorway to the__Psych office._

_Shawn spun around to see a young woman in her late twenties standing behind him. She had wavy blonde hair halfway down her back, and deep, green eyes that were bright with tears. Her brown mascara was smeared down her face._

"_Hi there," Gus greeted flirtatiously, standing up from his desk._

"_Seriously, man?" Shawn said incredulously, shooting an accusing glare at his best friend. Gus shrugged it off and turned back to the woman in the doorway, who was looking incredibly confused. "I'm sorry about my partner. He was just released from the mental hospital last week."_

_It was Gus's turn to shoot Shawn an accusing glare._

"_How may we help you?" Gus asked genially._

"_Oh, um…I-I need help," The woman's voice was shaky and panicked._

"_Well, you've come to the right place," Shawn said brightly. "Why don't you have a seat," he offered, gesturing to a plush armchair. The woman accepted gratefully. "What's your name?"_

"_Melissa Archer," The woman told him, running her hand through her hair. "I just saw my fiancé murder someone."_

OooOooO

Juliet made her way through the station with new purpose. She came to her partner's desk and slammed his newly filled coffee mug down on the wooden surface.

"He was trying to leave us a message," She announced, leaning forward and staring at her partner intently.

"Uh, what?" Lassiter spluttered, caught off guard by Juliet's exuberance.

"Shawn, he was trying to leave us a message."

"Well, I got that. My first clue was Guster coming in here and saying 'I have a message for you from Shawn Spencer,'" Lassiter said sarcastically.

"No!" Juliet threw her hands in the air in frustration. "What I mean is that he hid clues in all the things he said. That is, unless you and Shawn really do make bets over football and you borrow movies from Gus."

"Of course he did, O'Hara. Why is this such a big revelation?"

"Well, I'm sorry, Carlton. I was a little overwhelmed with the fact that Shawn has been kidnapped and Gus doesn't remember who he is!" She cried shrilly.

"Okay, okay. That's fair enough, O'Hara. Do you know what the clues mean?"

Juliet smiled triumphantly. "I think I do—well, most of them anyways."

"So we have something about the Colts and the Giants, something about golden eyes and dying another day, something about a guy named Norton, and that he wanted to tell you he's sorry and you'll know why," Lassiter listed automatically, easily able to recite them after the many times he had thought through them.

Juliet shifted uncomfortably at the last on the list. "What is it? What does the last mean?" Carlton asked gently.

"He means that he's sorry he lied. He promised he wouldn't do anything stupid and he did," She muttered, shuffling her feet and staring at her toes.

There was an awkward moment of silence before Lassiter cleared his throat. "Okay. And what about the others?"

"Well," Juliet began, straightening with purpose, "first we have the Colts and the Giants. What do the Colts and the Giants have in common?" She asked in a tone that clearly indicated that she knew the answer.

"I don't know. They're both nouns?" Lassiter guessed, clueless.

Juliet almost laughed. "Football teams, Carlton. They're both football teams. You really didn't know that?"

Lassiter shrugged. "No guns in football," He said simply.

"Okay… Well, in addition to being football teams, both of them have a Manning as a quarterback. Payton Manning is the quarterback for the Colts, and Eli Manning is the quarterback for the Giants. So it's safe to guess that the name 'Manning' has something to do with this."

"I don't know, O'Hara. How are you sure that he wasn't referring to a location at which both teams played recently?" Lassiter pointed out.

"Because they _haven't_ played each other recently. Moving on to the next, he said you borrowed his Bond movies, something about golden eyes and dying another day. I'm guessing that he's referring to the movies 'Golden Eye' and 'Die Another Day.'"

"Both movies that star Pierce Brosnan!" Lassiter declared.

"That one you know…" Juliet mumbled under her breath.

"So we can assume that the name 'Pierce' has something to do with it. So, what, Manning Pierce is our guy?" Lassiter said uncertainly.

"Nope," Juliet smiled, grabbing a newspaper from the side of Lassiter's desk, whipping it open, and jamming her finger on a giant photograph in the middle. The photo showed a confident looking Italian man standing behind a podium, seemingly giving a speech.

"Pierce Manning."

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><p>Thank you all for your reviews!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

"_I just saw my fiancé murder someone."_

_Shawn and Gus looked at each other in surprise._

"_Well, as far as introductions go, that was pretty good," Shawn said, tilting his head as he studied the young woman._

"_What?" She asked in confusion, wiping away more tears._

"_Forgive my partner," Gus said, glaring at Shawn. "He's an idiot."_

"_Ooh," Shawn said, putting his hand over his heart and feigning a wounded expression. _

"_Please, have a seat," Gus offered, sweeping his hand out to offer her a chair._

"_So, how about starting at the beginning? Who is your fiancé and why do you think he murdered someone?" Shawn asked Melissa as she sat down._

"_I don't think. I know. I just saw it!" She twisted her hands in anxiety, and Gus and Shawn shot each other another look._

"_Okay…then, why don't you tell us what happened?"_

"_My fiancé's name is Adam King, and we were eating dinner when he got a phone call. He made this excuse, that his boss had called and he had to go in to work. He's been doing this a lot lately, and…I thought he might be cheating on me. So, I followed him."_

_She trailed off and Gus urged her to continue. "What happened next?" He asked._

"_He went down by the docks. I got out of the car to get closer, and I saw my fiancé standing in front of two other men. I couldn't see their faces very well, but I saw what…what Adam did. He…he pulled out a gun and shot…shot one of the men!" She sobbed, covering her face with her hands as she cried. "And…and I think he saw me!"_

"_Think, or know?" Shawn asked, his voice was still light, but now he was staring intently at her, completely serious._

"_I…I know. I must have made a noise. He looked right at me and the other man started running after me, but I got to my car and started driving away before he could reach me."_

_Shawn spun away from Melissa, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "We need to get you to the police."_

"_No! I came to you for help. Please."_

_Shawn paced the office, thinking. Finally, he stopped and looked at both Melissa and Gus. "We'll do a little…psychic investigating first and then go to the police."_

_Gus shifted uncomfortably in his chair._

"_It's okay, buddy. It can't hurt to get a little more information ourselves first."_

"_What about the man that was killed?"_

"_It's nothing that an anonymous tip or psychic vision at the station can't take care of." He glanced at Melissa out of the corner of his eye before holding up his hand next to his head in classic psychic pose. "After all, I'm already starting to 'see' what happened. "_

_Gus shook his head and sighed. "We'll need to find a safe place to keep her."_

_Shawn cocked an eyebrow. "I just happen to know a grumpy, old man that used to be a cop and has a home as safe as Fort Knox. In the meantime, Melissa, I need you to answer a few more questions..."_

Shawn's eyelids fluttered closed as he fell to the floor. The kick to his ribs made him groan and he wrapped his arms around himself to block the next hit.

"Where. Is. She?" Manning asked angrily and Shawn pried his eyes open to see the man glaring at him.

"I'm sorry," Shawn gasped, "But I think that last hit to my…my head made me forget who…who you were looking for."

Rough hands pulled him upright again and Shawn sagged in their grasp, closing his eyes against the pain from the next punches.

"Melissa Archer! Where is she?"

"Oh…oh yeah. Right." Shawn nodded and then started shaking his head. "Sorry, I can't tell you."

"You will," Manning promised.

…

"Hey, Gus. How are you?" Juliet asked as she walked into Gus' hospital room.

"I still can't remember anything, Detective."

"I know. Carlton and I were wondering if you would like to leave the hospital. We have a possible lead, and we'd like to get your input on it. We're hoping that by showing you some pictures and including you in the investigation, we might trigger some memories. We need to know what you and Shawn were investigating before your disappearance."

Gus sat up from the bed immediately, swinging his legs off the bed in his anxiousness to leave. "Yes. I need to remember. Shawn…" The name rolled off of his tongue without any of the familiar tones of irritation or fondness that were usually present. "He seemed so worried, and I don't even know why he would care. I feel like I owe it to him to do everything I can to find him."

Juliet nodded and moved to help Gus stand, supporting him as they walked from the room slowly.

"So, what's this lead you have?"

"Does the name Pierce Manning mean anything to you?"

"_What part of 'I want to watch this' do you not understand?" Gus asked, voice thick with annoyance. _

"_The 'want' part. It's the news. Nobody under the age of fifty willingly watches the news instead of Tom Selleck and his glorious stache!" _

"_I'll have you know, Shawn, that that man on the screen, Pierce Manning, is said to be one of the brightest, most innovative minds of the 21__st__ century."_

Gus winced at the sudden flash of memory.

"What? Did you remember something?"

"Just…I was arguing with Shawn? I don't know…"

Juliet smiled, squeezing Gus' arm in excitement. "This is good, Gus! You've already remembered something. Maybe once you get some more information, you'll remember everything!"

"I hope so," Gus said, his eyebrows creased in concentration as he tried to bring that memory back. "I really hope so."

He stayed silent for the whole ride to the police station, frustrated that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring forth another memory. He followed Juliet through the station, looking around curiously.

"What have you got?" Juliet asked as they approached Carlton's desk.

"I pulled information on Pierce Manning. He owns a technology business that looks clean; he has no known criminal ties…The man's even won accolades for his humanitarian efforts. It just doesn't make sense. The only thing we have to tie him to this is a clue that we may or may not have interpreted correctly, and that came from a man with amnesia. I don't know, O'Hara."

"You know, Shawn said that the case he and Gus were working on was tied to that crime syndicate we were investigating."

"Then how does Manning tie into this?"

They both paused in their debate, turning to face Gus, who was staring at them blankly. He hadn't followed anything they had just said. They looked back at each other, conversing silently before Lassiter sighed and picked up several folders from his desk.

"Alright, Guster. We need you to look over these files," he said, holding the folders out to Gus. "This is the case we're working on, and this is all the information that I pulled about Manning. Anything you remember you need to tell us, even if it seems insignificant. Can you handle that?"

"We know you're recovering still and we're sorry to pull you into this investigation, but you are the only lead that we have."

Gus took the folders from Lassiter, his demeanor changing from confused to determined. "I can handle it."

…

Manning looked down at the still form of Shawn and his lip curled in distaste. "We'll have to leave him for now." His gaze landed on one of the two guards and he shook his head. "Adam, I do hate having to clean up your messes. I told you not to get so attached to the girl. Now, because of your mistake, we'll have to get rid of her. I'll have to call Johnny."

"No! Boss, I'll take care of her. After Spencer talks, I'll make sure she is no longer a bother to you."

Manning cocked his head to the side. "I have trouble believing that. She was your fiancée."

"I have to do it. Johnny can be…brutal. Making sure she doesn't suffer is the least I can do."

Manning studied Adam before he nodded thoughtfully. "Very well. Then I will expect you to make some effort to get the answer out of Spencer yourself."

"Of course, sir."

"Good. Make certain to secure him. We don't need him escaping," Manning said as he swept from the room.

Adam knelt beside Shawn, jerking back when Shawn started to speak.

"You're…you're Adam King…Melissa's fiancée."

"Yes, yes I am," Adam said, recovering from his surprise. "Is she okay?"

"She is, unless she crosses paths with you or Johnny."

"I could never hurt Melissa! And I can't…I can't believe that I got her involved with this."

"Then just how do you plan on…on taking care of her?" Shawn shifted, his breath hitching at the pain that movement caused.

"I've gotten her a fake passport," Adam said, lowering his voice just in case someone was listening in on the conversation.

"You're…you're going to run with her."

"If she forgives me, yes. If not, then I'll let her go her own way. Spencer, you need to tell me where she is."

Shawn's eyes narrowed as he studied the other man. Finally, he shook his head. "I can't, Adam. She's safe, and I can't risk that."

"I am your only chance at getting out of here, Spencer. Tell me where she is and I can help you."

"How about just…letting me go, and I make sure she stays safe…from you, as well."

Adam pursed his lips, grabbing the duct tape that the other guard had left behind. "I can't do that. You'll be stuck here until you tell Manning or me where Melissa is. And for your sake, you had better tell me, or what Manning's doing to you now will be _nothing_ compared to what I do to you!"

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><p>AN: Thank you for your wonderful reviews. We always look forward to hearing your thoughts!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

"_Shawn!" Juliet was screaming, running as fast as her legs could carry her. She skidded to a stop in front of one of the thousands of doors lining the infinitely long hallway just long enough to throw it open and look inside. The room was empty. "SHAWN!" She screamed again desperately, "Where are you?" _

"_Jules," A small, weak voice materialized from behind her._

_Juliet spun around. "Oh my God! Shawn!" She cried. Shawn had appeared inside of the room that she had just checked. _

_He looked horrible. Splotches of black and blue littered his entire body. Harsh, deep cuts randomly covered his face and torso, reducing his favorite shirt to shreds and staining his skin red. _

_Juliet ran into the room and fell to her knees beside Shawn. "Oh, Shawn. I'm so sorry. You're going to be okay, Shawn, just hang on," She was babbling nonsensically in her attempt to soothe her boyfriend. _

"_It's your fault, Jules," Shawn croaked out, turning an accusatory glare on her. _

"_W-what?"_

"_You should-should've f-found me, b-but you didn't. I was r-right in front of-of you, b-but you didn't-didn't see me."_

_Juliet felt her heart break as Shawn spoke the truth. _"_I'm so sorry, Shawn," She choked out between sobs. "Please stay with me. Please, I love you."_

"_You did this to me. This is your fault."_

_With those final words, Shawn's eyes glazed over and his body went limp. He was dead. _

"_NO! Shawn! Please! I'm sorry! PLEASE!"_

"O'Hara! O'Hara, wake up!"

Juliet's eyes snapped open as she jerked awake. Her head shot up from the surface of her desk only to collide with a semi-hard object.

"Ow!" She heard her partner's voice from behind her. She spun around to look at him and found him covering an eye with his hand. "What was that for?"

"I'm so sorry, Carlton!"

Lassiter shrugged it off. "It's fine. Who really needs two eyes anyways? You can see just fine out of one."

It was then that Juliet noticed what was in her partner's other hand. "Your gun? Seriously? What were you planning on doing with that?" She wondered incredulously.

"Well I heard you screaming from across the station and I assumed—"

"Wait. I was screaming?" Juliet was mortified. Her fears were confirmed when she glanced around her and caught a few lingering stares from her nosy coworkers.

"Oh, yeah. Most of it was gibberish, but I caught the word 'please' just before you woke up. Looks like you were crying, too."

Sure enough, when Juliet swiped her eyes her fingertips came back wet. Vaguely she realized that soft, silent tears continued to leak from her eyes.

"It was just a nightmare. Sorry, I must've fallen asleep going through these files."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lassiter asked uncharacteristically compassionately. Juliet shook her head. "Good." He was turning to go back to his desk when his partner's voice stopped him.

"This is all my fault," Juliet practically whispered.

"Wait, what?"

"Right now Shawn is most likely being held by a major crime syndicate, and it's my fault. I knew that he was going to do something stupid. He promised he wouldn't, but I didn't believe him. I let him go anyways." Juliet muttered in a detached voice.

Lassiter shook his head in bewilderment. "Are you serious?" He asked, staring at his partner.

Julie nodded sadly. "Yes. He told me that he wanted to—"

"No. I mean are you seriously blaming yourself?"

"Well yes—"

"Oh my God." Lassiter ran a frustrated hand through his hair and began pacing.

"What?" Juliet wondered, her voice thick with confusion.

"That's just like Spencer. He goes out and gets himself kidnapped like the idiot that he is and he leaves everyone else to feel bad—"

"What are you talking about, Carlton?"

Lassiter stopped his pacing to lean forward onto O'Hara's desk. "Are you crazy? Spencer didn't get kidnapped because you didn't stop him. What the hell kind of logic are you using? See, _that's _the problem with having female partners: all those damned hormones. He got kidnapped because he. Is. An. IDIOT. Okay? So stop moping and do your job, because I seriously don't feel like giving you another pep talk." With that Lassiter spun on his heel and went back to his desk.

Juliet was shocked to silence for a moment, and then began smiling slightly in spite of herself.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

OooOooO

Gus didn't remember a whole lot about himself or, well, anything, but he was pretty sure that he wasn't a violent guy. Still, he'd like nothing more than to punch someone in the face at that moment.

He'd gone over page after page of information on Pierce Manning. He'd seen business stats, letters of recommendations, awards and associates. Still he'd been unable to come up with a single solid piece of evidence that tied the man to his 'friend's' disappearance. On top of all of that, his memories remained elusive as ever.

It was a hard sensation to describe, not knowing who he was. It was sort of like one of those illusions where, if you squint and tilt your head a certain way, you can see a picture of a valley or mountain range. He knew what the hidden picture was, and every once in a while he'd get a glimpse of part of it, but he couldn't quite get the whole thing.

Gus put his face in his hands and groaned aloud in frustration. While he was sitting and feeling sorry for himself, that man, Shawn, was probably being tortured for information.

He turned his attention back to the file in front of him. For Shawn's sake, he needed to find something, _anything_ that gave even the slightest clue as to why he'd been taken.

And then something caught his eye. A name. Gus looked to the top of the paper he'd been staring at and realized that he was looking at a roster of Pierce Manning's employees. The name was Adam King.

"_My fiancé's name is Adam King."_

A flash of memory hit Gus. This name meant something. Gus closed his eyes and strained to hold on to the memory.

"_My name is Melissa Archer. I just saw my fiancé murder someone." _

There was a girl in his office—no, he and Shawn's office. He remembered Shawn! They worked together! Where exactly, he wasn't sure, but it was something.

"_I think he saw me!"_

The girl, Melissa Archer, she was so scared. They had helped her.

It was what got him kidnapped.

"_Where is Melissa Archer?" A harsh voice penetrated through the foggy haze surrounding him. Why wouldn't the voice just go away and let him sleep?_

"_I don't know who you're talking about!" Gus cried, burying his face in his knees in an attempt to make the voice disappear. _

"_Yes you do! You and your Psychic friend hid her from me! Where is she?"_

"_I don't know what you're talking about!" _

"Oh my God." Gus breathed. He leapt out of his chair and sprinted over to the two detectives. That small physical exertion was enough to exhaust him, but he didn't care. "I know why they have Shawn."


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Our apologies for the long wait, my dears! (My fault!) Please enjoy!

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><p><em>Soft fingers ran across his face, soothing, gentle. "Shawn." <em>

_He opened his eyes slowly, sighing in relief when he saw her. "Jules…you found me."_

"_Shawn, why did you do it?" _

"_Do…do what?"_

"_Why did you do it?" He saw her eyes flash in anger, saw her lips press into a thin line. "You promised me you wouldn't. You promised!"_

"_Jules, I'm sorry. I…" _

_The anger melted into anguish and Shawn reached out for her, his heart twisting at the expression. She pulled away before he could touch her, and he frowned. "Jules, what…?" _

"_You promised!" _

_He shook his head and tried to reach for her one more time…and she disappeared. _

Shawn lurched forward, his eyes snapping open as he looked around the room he was being held in. His head fell back to the ground in frustration. Why hadn't they found him yet? He had given them everything they needed. Unless…unless Gus had forgotten part of the clue. Or worse, he wasn't able to give Juliet or Lassiter the clues. Gus' amnesia was something Shawn hadn't expected when he had found his friend, and it worried him. What exactly had caused the amnesia? Would his memory return?

He wanted, _needed_, to know the answer to those questions. The possibilities ate at him as much as his captivity did. He carefully pushed himself back to rest against the wall, prying open eyes that had slipped closed without his permission.

His father hadn't been happy about him taking this case, and that was before Shawn had suspected it was connected to the syndicate.

"_Shawn, what's going on?"_

_Shawn shifted, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with bringing a witness to his father's house after what had happened the last time. Allison had turned out to be a nut job; and he was sure it was only Yin's strict orders that had ensured his father's safety. That he was once more dragging his father into a dangerous position was a worry that hadn't hit him until he was in his father's house, Melissa by his side. Especially when he dropped by the station and heard that the anonymous call he had placed had been useless. The police hadn't found any evidence of a crime or a body._

"_Just…keep an eye on her, okay Dad? She's a witness to a crime." _

_Henry's eyes narrowed at his son. "What crime?"_

"_She witnessed a murder." _

_His hesitation was minute, but Henry didn't miss it. "What aren't you telling me?"_

_Shawn rubbed the back of his head. "There was no evidence. Someone cleaned up the crime scene."_

_Henry swore softly. "They're not amateurs." There was a short pause before he asked, "Why isn't she with the police?"_

_Shawn's lips pulled up into a small smile. That his father didn't question if the witness was reliable was a silent sign of his belief in Shawn. And not questioning why Melissa wasn't at the station right at the start of their conversation was another sign that Shawn noticed and appreciated. _

_He cleared his throat, the smile quickly disappearing as his worry returned. "I need to do some more investigating first." His father shook his head and opened his mouth to interrupt, but Shawn cut him off. "I need to know more, Dad. I can't jump into this one blind."_

_His father sighed and finally nodded his approval. "Tell me more."_

Shawn's clue for his father was the most important one. If he couldn't place the reference, then Shawn wasn't going to get out of this.

…

"What do you remember?" Lassiter asked, leaning forward in his seat and staring intently at Guster.

"We…we were in the office, and someone came in. Her name was Melissa Archer. She…she said she saw her fiancé kill someone, and that she wanted our help."

"And you didn't come to the police?" Lassiter asked, incredulous, before O'Hara silenced him.

"Let him finish, Carlton. Go on, Gus. What else do you remember?"

Guster's eyes closed in concentration. "She said her fiancé's boss kept calling him in at odd times, and she started to think he was cheating on her. She followed him, saw him…shoot someone. She didn't want to come to the police, so Shawn decided…" He rubbed his forehead as he tried to remember. "Shawn wanted to do some psychic investigating…psychic investigating? We're psychic? _I'm _psychic?" He looked at Juliet in confusion, ignoring Lassiter's derisive snort.

"Psychic my a—" Lassiter started to say before Juliet cut him off another time.

She glared at him before she answered Guster's question. "Shawn's the psychic, but you both work together to investigate crimes."

"Oh. I didn't think I believed in psychics." He frowned, visibly shaking himself after Lassiter motioned for him to continue. "He wanted to do some psychic investigating before we turned her over."

"Where is she now?" O'Hara asked.

"And how does this tie into our crime syndicate?" Lassiter added.

Guster put the papers he had been reading on the desk in front of Lassiter. He pointed out a name, Adam King. "I don't know where she is, but that's her fiancé."

"And he works for Pierce Manning."

Lassiter met O'Hara's eyes, noting the fire that flashed in them. Guster's information confirmed their suspicions, but that still left them with a lot of unknowns. Mostly, how did Pierce Manning tie into the crime syndicate?

"I'll repeat what I said earlier," he said. "The man's clean. There is no hint of criminal history in his records."

"Then we'll look into King's background; see what it is he's hired to do for Manning," O'Hara suggested as she spun back to her desk and began typing on her computer.

"Fine," Lassiter said, his eyes falling back on Guster as he saw the man wince and rub his eyes again. "You, sit. Before you collapse. I am not picking you up if you fall on the floor."

…

Shawn jerked awake again, his heart hammering as he stared wildly around the room. Something had woken him, a noise or something...He listened carefully for the sound, frowning in concentration until he heard it again.

It was laughter. He swallowed, trying to keep his nausea at bay. The men were _laughing_. After kidnapping his best friend, after "questioning" both Gus and Shawn, they were _laughing. _

"You sons of…" He whispered, choking on the word. He held his breath when the coughing stopped, worried the men might have heard him. He didn't want them to know he was awake yet. He wasn't ready to face them again.

The only consolation he had right now was that Gus wasn't going through this. Not anymore.

"_Mr. Spencer."_

_Shawn froze, the phone held to his ear as he watched Juliet walk out of the interrogation room. The voice was unmistakable._

"_You have some information that I want, Mr. Spencer. And in return, I have someone here that you care about."_

_She had just told him not to do anything stupid, anything rash. He had promised her he wouldn't, knowing full well he would break that promise if there was any possibility it would bring Gus back._

"_I'm listening," he said finally, feeling something cold settle in the pit of his stomach. That feeling intensified as he finished making his deal with the devil. He was throwing away his freedom for his friend—a decision he would make again in a heartbeat. But he couldn't escape the knowledge that there was every possibility he wouldn't be walking away from this._

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><p>AN:Thank you for your wonderful reviews! They are much appreciated!<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Well hello, friends! Right off the bat, we're sorry that it's been a while. For any of you that have followed my stories (me being Olivia94), you know that I have a tendency to take a while. On top of that, writing with two, while it's awesome sauce, takes a little more time. Thanks for your patience! Enjoy :D**

**OooOooO**

Shawn would be the first to admit that he'd done some stupid things in his life. Well, maybe the second after his dad…or the third after Lassie…the fourth after Gus…

No matter which way, Shawn knew that he could be a bit impulsive. He blamed it on his ADHD, but still. The funny thing about his situation, Shawn thought as he sat, curled up in his dank little cell, was that he didn't feel like an idiot this time.

In his head, Shawn thought back on the fateful case that had put him in that room. He couldn't for the life of him figure out how things had gone so badly so quickly. He had made the conscious decision to investigate without bringing the police into the loop, which he still believed was the right decision. Trading himself for Gus had been a no brainer; he didn't regret that either. So what had he done wrong?

And then a strange thought hit the fake psychic. "How did you know?" He wondered aloud.

Adam King, who had just walked into the room with Pierce Manning, shot a look at his boss before biting.

"Know what?"

"How'd you know about me and Gus? How'd you know to come after us? I mean, I doubt Melissa called you up—that'd be interesting, though, 'Hey, honey, I went to these two guys because I'm worried you'll kill me, could you talk to them for me?' If that's the case, I'm a very poor judge of character. And we didn't tell anyone about her or you, so how did you know that we were looking into you?" Shawn mused, becoming increasingly curious to know the answer.

Adam shifted his position uncomfortably and cast another glance at his boss. Manning shrugged, as if to say 'it's not like he can tell anyone, anyways.'

"Let's just say we're _very _resourceful," Adam was grinning knowingly, although the tiny spark of panic in his eyes told Shawn just how worried he was for his fiancée.

Shawn felt panic seize him as the weight of Adam's statement hit him full force.

"_This isn't going to work, Shawn." Gus called after his best friend nervously. _

_Shawn, who had been striding up the steps of the SBPD, spun around to lock on Gus. "Oh, come on, Gus! Don't be Robert Prescott in __Real Genius__. What if Jim Lovell had said that?" _

_Gus stared at Shawn incredulously. "Um, I don't know, a major crisis would've been averted?"_

_Shawn shrugged, "Maybe, but we wouldn't have gotten an awesome movie out of said crisis."_

"_I can't believe you just said that."_

_Shawn ignored Gus's remark and continued his way up the steps._

"_I'm serious, Shawn!" _

_Once again, Shawn spun around to face his best friend. "What's the big deal? Lassie and Jules do it all the time."_

"_Yes, Shawn, but Lassiter and Juliet actually work here. That's why, when they run names through the database, they can use their own computers. They don't have to hack into someone else's!" Gus whisper-shouted, wary of the police officers around him. _

"_I'd hardly call it hacking. Does it count as hacking if you know someone's password?" Shawn questioned his partner._

"_Whose password do you know?" Gus wondered cynically. _

_Shawn's face visibly brightened. "Lassie's!" He cried, thrusting the palm of his left hand in Gus's face proudly to display the mess of letters and numbers that read 'Annette.40S&Wac' in sloppy black sharpie. _

"_Where did you get that?" Gus asked. He wasn't completely sure that he wanted to know the answer. _

_If possible, the grin on Shawn's face grew wider. "I figured it out. Annette," He explained, tracing the letters on his palm with his right forefinger, "Is the name of Lassie's gun—"_

"_Whoa, wait," Gus interjected. "Lassiter named his gun?"_

_Shawn stared at his friend, slightly annoyed at the interruption. "That surprises you?" Gus shrugged to acknowledge the point and Shawn continued, "And then .40-S-and-W-a-c: .40 caliber, Smith and Wesson, automatic cartridge—that's the kind of gun he carries. It's standard issue for the whole department."_

_Gus raised an eyebrow, alternating his gaze between Shawn and the words on his hand. "How sure are you about this?" _

"_A good forty-six percent. Come on, Gus, you know I took that password cracking class in college!" _

"_You didn't go to college, Shawn."_

_The faux-psychic shrugged mildly and resumed walking up the stairs, "You're right, I didn't. But I _did _pass the FBI Basic Training game on the __White Collar__ website. It was quite difficult." Misinterpreting the incredulous look on his best friend's face, Shawn went on, "No, really, I did. Here, look, I took a photo of the little, 'congrats you've won' page thingy and everything!" _

_Shawn went to pull out his cell phone as the two entered the station, but Gus's voice stopped him. "Look, there they are!" He whisper-shouted, grabbing Shawn by the sleeve and pulling him behind a tall plant at the front of the station. The two went on to shield themselves as inconspicuously as possible._

"_Lassiter and Juliet, eleven o'clock," Gus whispered in his friend's ear. _

_Shawn looked over Gus's shoulder and into the street in front of the station. "What, did they just pull up or something? How'd you see them? Dude, I knew you had eyes in the back of your head! That's why you refuse to grow hair!" _

_Gus rolled his eyes, "No, _my _eleven o'clock!"_

"_Oh!" Shawn turned to look at the front desk, which was to Gus's left, "Hold up, is Angela the secretary lady secretly Lassie in disguise? _That's _why she doesn't like me!"_

_Gus groaned aloud, grabbing Shawn by the shoulders and turning him so that he was facing the body of the station. Sure enough, Lassiter and Juliet stood roughly thirty feet away, intently analyzing a white board littered with case-information. _

"_Eleven o'clock," Gus stated firmly, an edge of annoyance creeping into his tone. _

_Shawn tilted his head to the side thoughtfully and took a moment to study an analog clock on a nearby wall. _

"_I'm sorry, Salvador Dali, what kind of clock are you talking about?" He finally mused. _

_Gus merely pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed deeply, forcing the annoyance rising within him back down. _

_"The point is, how are we supposed to do this if Lassiter is right there?" Gus asked his partner what was meant to be a rhetorical question. _

_Shawn, however, spun around excitedly. Gus could practically _see _the wheels spinning in his friend's head. _

"_Okay, here's what we do," Shawn began enthusiastically, "Just bear with me, okay? I saw this on an episode of __The A-Team__ once. First, you go in there and convince everyone that you're an Arabian Prince—"_

_The rest of Shawn's elaborate plan was mercifully cut off by Lassiter's gruff voice booming throughout the station. _

"_Let's go, people! We've got a call out to State Street and West Carrillo!" _

_Within a minute the greater part of active officers in the station had filed past the duo and out to their respective cars. In the commotion, Shawn and Gus remained unseen behind the plant. Or, they did until one particular officer spotted them. _

"_Shawn, Gus? What are the two of you doing here?" _

_Shawn and Gus exchanged a look quickly before Shawn spoke up, "Buzz! Fancy meeting you here!" _

_Buzz McNab glanced around in confusion. "I work here…" _

_Shawn feigned a look of dawning comprehension. "That's right! You do, don't you? Totally forgot for a second."_

"_Right…" Buzz nodded slowly, "Well, why are you here?"_

"_Lassie said we could use his computer!" Shawn blurted out before Gus could stop him. _

_Buzz surveyed the two critically for a moment, and then smiled, "Well, okay then! If Detective Lassiter said it's fine! Go ahead. Do you know the password?"_

_Shawn grinned and looked at Gus triumphantly, "Yes. Yes we do."_

Shawn and Gus had continued on to run the name that Melissa Archer had given for her fiancé, Adam King, through every server they could access with Lassiter's security clearance. The search had come up empty, fueling Shawn's theory that the name was an alias.

But as Shawn sat, bleeding and bound in front of his torturers, he was able to put two and two together and recognize the significance of that event. The only way that anyone could find out that the Psych agency was looking into Adam would be if their search had sent up red flags. Were that the case, someone would have had to be monitoring the servers at the Santa Barbara Police Department. And if _that _were the case…

"You have a mole in the SBPD, don't you?"

**OooOooO**

**Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoyed. **

**Please drop us a review, guys! It means a lot and it really helps us figure things out. Thanks! :D**

**I will now hand you off to the fabulously talented Syncop8ed Rhythm.**


	9. Chapter 9

AN: We are so sorry for the long wait! My (Sync's) fault! Life, and all it entails, got in the way. ;-)

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><p>Dawn hadn't quite broken when Henry Spencer stormed into the police station. He searched the sea of faces that turned toward him, disregarding each until he found who he was looking for.<p>

"Lassiter! Juliet! Gus?" He pulled up short at the sight of his son's best friend, who, according to his son's phone message, had gone missing. The pieces of the puzzle quickly fell into place, leaving Henry reeling at the implications. "Where is my son?" He demanded.

"Henry," Lassiter began, and Henry knew that tone. It was the same placating, worried, irritated tone he had used the first time Shawn went missing, and Henry's fears were confirmed.

"Where is he?" He stepped into Lassiter's personal space, not caring that he was yelling, or that every police officer in the station had suddenly fallen silent. His son was _missing._

"Henry, wait a minute. We can explain…" Juliet trailed off, looking curiously at the nervous woman standing beside him. "Who's this?"

"Melissa Archer," Gus replied automatically, sounding dazed, and Henry turned his attention to him. "Mr. Spencer," Gus continued, his eyes widening in horror, and Henry watched as a whole range of emotions crossed his face. "Sh…Shawn! Oh my god, Shawn! They've got Shawn!"

Lassiter reached the younger man's side just in time, catching him as his legs gave out and he started to drop to the floor. Henry moved forward to help, his heart clenching when Gus grabbed the front of his shirt and stared straight into his eyes.

"He did it to save me," he whispered. "He traded himself for me. The man wants _her; _she witnessed her fiancé murder a man. Shawn…" Gus trailed off, his face twisting with a fear he couldn't articulate.

Henry shut his eyes, his mind going blank at the information. Of course his son would trade himself for Gus. That was exactly the kind of stubborn, idiotic, courageously stupid thing he would do. Shawn wouldn't have hesitated for a second in making a deal for his best friend.

"Henry?" Juliet placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Lassiter, _where?"_ Henry opened his eyes and looked at the detective, absently wrapping his hand around the fingers Gus still had tangled in his shirt.

The detective set his jaw as he returned Henry's gaze. "We don't know, Henry."

The words were like a physical blow to him, stealing his breath. Not again. His son was not missing, without a trace, like the last time. His son was not hurt and waiting for his father to find him, not again. _Not again, not again, not again._

"But he left us some clues. Yours is the last one to decipher."

_Those_ words were a lifeline, offering him the hope he needed to focus again. "What were they?"

Lassiter pulled Gus to his feet, lifting an eyebrow at the police officers that were staring at them. "Perhaps we should take this into the conference room," he suggested.

"Tell me. Now," Henry ordered, refusing to wait the extra moment it would take to walk to an office. He pushed Gus into the nearest seat as he swayed, and laid a glare on the detective that he knew for a fact the man found scary.

Lassiter sighed. "From Shawn's clues and the little that Gus has remembered, we've pieced together that Pierce Manning is somehow behind this. We also knew there was a woman who had witnessed a murder, but we didn't know where she was."

"Is that all?"

Gus was the one to answer the question this time, his voice muffled as he cradled his head. "No. There was one more clue." He lifted his head, and Henry winced at the bruises on his face, the image of his son's bruised features far too easy to imagine. "He said to tell you he finally got in touch with someone named Norton. That's all that I can remember," Gus finished quietly.

"Norton?" Henry repeated, frowning as he tried to place the name.

"We thought it might be about his bike, but we haven't been able to locate it. Or you, for that matter," Lassiter said, a slight question tingeing the statement.

It would take Henry too long to explain how he and Melissa had frantically fled from his house when they had realized it was being watched. He had quickly called in a few favors with his neighbors to create enough of a diversion to sneak Melissa out of the house and away from the tail, and it wasn't until he had gotten someplace safe that he had been able to check his messages. He had immediately pulled Melissa back into the car, making a beeline to the police department when he heard the news about his son and Juliet's messages telling him to come in.

He'd explain it all later, when his son wasn't in danger.

"His bike? I don't…Maybe. Norton, Norton…There was a Tom Norton that I arrested years ago during a drug bust. He'd converted a warehouse along the water into a home base for his business, took me a few weeks to pin him down. But he's still in jail. I don't know what he could have to do with this situation."

"We know why, and Shawn gave us who," Juliet mused. "Is it possible he was trying to tell us where?"

Henry turned to Melissa who had yet to utter a word and had steadily grown paler over the last few minutes as she listened. "Where did you see your fiancé murder that man?" The idea that his son had given them his location made his question abrupt, and she flinched.

"Near…near the docks, south of the fishing wharf," she said, blinking wide blue eyes at him that had suddenly filled with tears. The sight didn't move him. His top priority was his son who had gotten into this mess just to help her.

"You don't think…" Gus trailed off, an incredulous smile lighting his face.

"Why else would he bring up Norton? That has to be why." _Way to go, kid, _Henry thought, his relief warring with the possibility that they might still be too late.

"McNab! Gather the officers; we're heading out in five!" Lassiter ordered, stalking away from the group and heading into the Chief's office.

…

There was always something a little off with him. He had known it from an early age. He enjoyed starting fights and fueling discord among those he called friends, taking pleasure in watching the sparks fly. And no one ever expected it was him. It was a natural gift. He had a special knack at hiding in plain sight, sweeping his less than stellar actions behind an honest façade.

Even his parents had never really understood him. They'd had second thoughts about some of his actions, especially when they noticed how trouble seemed to follow him around; but their doubts only helped him perfect his ability to disguise himself.

They still thought their son was an angel, especially after he decided to join the force. And _oh_, how the keys of the kingdom were handed to him when he graduated the academy and joined the ranks of Santa Barbara's finest.

Or rather, _some_ of Santa Barbara's finest. To be honest, there were some imbeciles on the force. Lassiter, for one—a mediocre cop at best who liked to throw his weight around.

It was amusing to act intimidated of the man and awestruck by his skills and see Lassiter buy every second of his illusion. The man had no clue who he was bullying around, but his charade was part of the reason he was one of the most invaluable members of Manning's organization. The information he could pass off to Manning was priceless and the perks he received in return a just payment for his betrayal.

Oh yes, his life was good. And so much better now that Henry Spencer had finally made it into the station, towing a certain blonde haired beauty along with.

He toyed with his cell phone as he watched the retired detective invade Lassiter's personal space, and covered a laugh. To be the one to tell Manning he had eyes on the woman… His reward would be the best yet. Especially—he leaned forward in his desk, catching enough of the conversation to know the psychic had managed to pass on his location to the detectives—after he warned the boss his location was no longer secure.

"McNab!" He flinched as Lassiter stalked closer, spouting out orders and not waiting for a confirmation.

He had to play his part a little longer, and then he could collect his payment. And then, maybe a trip to the Caymans. Maybe this time he would stay there and not return.

Then he thought of the money he would receive and gave a slow smile. And maybe not. After all, his job as a policeman paid him very well.

He flipped open his cell phone and quickly sent a message. _Target sighted. Location compromised. Move out immediately._

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><p>AN: Your support and reviews for this story are so very much appreciated! Thank you!<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

**Guess what? WE'RE BACK! :D I bet you guys had given up on us, hadn't you? I think I speak for both myself (Olivia) and my wonderful co-writer when I say that I am so, so sorry that this story has gone so long without an update. We're both extraordinarily busy and, even with all of this newfangled technology, our lines of communication are a bit unreliable. It probably doesn't help that we semi-obsessive-compulsively revise every chapter. **

**Anyhoo, I apologize once more and I hope you enjoy! **

**OooOooO**

Adam King was at a complete and total loss. He had really, really screwed up, and he didn't know what to do.

He glanced from his boss to the beaten and bound psychic in front of him. _Yes, _he thought, _I've really messed up this time._

For the life of him, he couldn't understand how things had gotten so drastic. His position with Manning had been completely innocent at first. King had been the chief accountant for Hyperion Technology, Manning's research company. He had known that his boss acquired funding from…_questionable _means, but he had never been too involved with the business's shady side. That is, until a few months ago, when Adam realized that someone was stealing from the company.

_Adam hesitated for a few seconds before knocking on the beautiful wooden doors that led to Pierce Manning's office. He found the man intimidating, despite their past history, and was not in any way eager to be the bearer of bad news. _

_"Come in." Manning's deep voice reached Adam through the doors._

_Taking a deep breath, he entered the office. The room was beautiful, decorated with with expensive sculptures and paintings that hung on the deep blue walls. _

_"Adam," Pierce greeted him warmly, "please, take a seat. What can I do to help you?" _

_Adam obliged, sitting in one of the comfortable armchairs in front of Manning's desk. _

_"I've come across something, Sir. Something you're not going to like." Adam told his boss, doing his best to keep his voice steady._

_"Yes?" _

_"The Gentry brothers, Sir. They're stealing from you."_

_The Gentry brothers were two of Hyperion Tech's most valuable researchers. They had aided in developing some of the company's most groundbreaking experiments. _

_Manning stood up from his chair and crossed to one of the office's massive windows that looked out on the city. He was silent for a long moment. _

_"You know this for sure?" Manning asked, his voice so quiet that Adam had hardly heard him._

_"Yes, sir." Adam nodded. "A few weeks ago I noticed that money was missing from the company's primary account. Someone has been skimming from your funds for a while now. It took time, but I was able to trace the leak back to the Gentrys."_

_"Conclusively?" _

_"Conclusively." King confirmed. _

_Manning sighed heavily and made his way back to his desk. The silence in the room was like a physical presence. Adam shifted in his seat uncomfortably. _

_"I can get you evidence if you want to take this to court, Mr. Manning. I think I have enough to-"_

_"No." Pierce interrupted him. "No court, no lawyers. They know too much. We have to handle this ourselves."_

_"We, sir?" Adam piped up anxiously. _

_Manning stood up once again, this time moving to lean back against the front of his desk._

_"You've done well, Adam." Manning told him. "Really well. I've kept an eye on you, you know. Ever since I brought you in. You have a lot more to offer to this company than your skills with a calculator. I want to bring you into my inner circle, but first you have to prove yourself."_

Adam shuddered when he thought back on what he had to do to 'prove himself.' Manning had asked a lot of him. First he had to help kidnap the Gentry brothers. Then he was forced to view and conduct 'interrogations' where they questioned the brothers until they revealed the location of the stolen money. Adam had hated every second of the process, but he had a pretty good idea of what would happen to him if he refused his boss. He had seen too much-there was no way that Manning would let him pull out unscathed.

He almost did, though, when Pierce told him to kill those men. Adam was a good guy. He wasn't a killer. He hadn't even wanted to kidnap the Gentrys. Were it up to him, the police would have been called and justice would have been served the good old fashioned way.

But it wasn't up to him. He had done as he was told and now Melissa was going to pay the price. Adam felt an unforgiving combination of grief and guilt clawing at his insides. This was his fiancee, the love of his life, and now Pierce Manning wanted him to treat her like any other loose end.

"Why don't you keep at this, Adam." Manning's voice snapped him back to the present. "I have business to attend to."

"Where are you going?" King asked as Pierce and his hired muscle headed for the door.

"If he's not going to tell me where your girl is," Manning gestured to the psychic, "then I'm just going to have to find her myself."

Adam felt cold dread wash over him as Manning left the room. He knew what would happen if the man found Melissa.

"Don't worry." The psychic spoke weakly from his chair. He had just undergone another bout of abuse and was looking a bit worse for wear. "He'll never find Melissa."

Adam was torn between feelings of gratitude and anger towards the man before him. Spencer had protected Melissa, but now he refused to let him save her.

"I am sensing some major confusion from you, Mr. King." Shawn said cryptically. "You don't belong here at all, do you? With Manning. You're no criminal."

King huffed and said nothing, refusing to give the psychic the satisfaction of being right.

"I want to help you Adam. Really, I do. But you need to help me first. Get me out of here and I swear to you, Melissa will be safe." Shawn paused for a few seconds. Talking was clearly wearing him out, but he persisted. "We can take down Manning and I'll speak for you-make sure you get off with a light sentence for what you've done."

Adam ran his hand through his hair, agitated, and began pacing.

"But wait. That's not what you want, is it? You don't want Manning to go to jail."

"It isn't that," Manning assured Spencer quickly, "it's just that I…owe him…"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Look," Adam said, sitting in the chair in front of Shawn, "we went to school together, Pierce and I. Well, he was a senior in high school when I was a freshman. Neither of us came from the best of families, so he became a sort of mentor for me. We lost contact after he graduated. He went off to college and became ridiculously successful while I went down a..._different _road. Let's just say that he bailed me out. If he hadn't given me a job at Hyperion, who knows where I'd be."

Adam was surprised when the psychic began laughing quietly.

"Of course. How did I not see this coming? That twisted sense of obligation. Classic." Shawn stopped for a moment as harsh coughs racked his body. He wasn't looking too hot. "Ju-Just think, though, Adam. Who means m-more to you, your boss, or your fian-fiancee?" Another round of coughs had the psychic practically gasping for air. "There's n-not much t-time, Ad-Adam. Help me, and Mel-Melissa is s-safe."

And with that final push, Shawn Spencer's eyes slipped closed and he fell unconscious.

"Spencer?" Adam called out, not expecting an answer.

He crossed over to Shawn and shook his shoulder.

"Spencer?" He said again.

Not receiving an answer, Adam began to worry. If the psychic died he'd never find Melissa-not before Manning did, at least. He was scared. He knew what his boss was capable of. If he helped Shawn, he was as good as dead.

Adam crossed to the door and checked the hallway. He was surprised to find that no men were stationed outside. Manning had probably taken then all with him.

He glanced back at the bloodied, unconscious psychic.

He knew what he had to do.

**OooOooO**

**Righto, if you're getting the vibe that this story is on the home stretch, I'm thinking you're right! While I can't tell you exactly when the next chappie will be up, I promise that the wait will be shorter this time. Please hang in there a bit longer! We're doing our best! **

**A few reviews definitely won't slow us down, though! Drop us a line and tell us what you think! Thanks so much! Y'all are the absolute greatest :D**


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